Wrench



(No Model.)

L.` G. KRUBGER. WRENCH'.

l1\0.5@4,023. Patented N0v.-2s,1897.

nu: Nonms Pnvs'co. morauwzn. WASHINGTON u c UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE;

Louis GEo. KEUEGEE, or wRiGHrsTowN, wisconsin'.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,023, vdated November .23, 1897.

Application filed May 17, 1897. Serial No. 636,963. (No model.)

VVrightstown, in the county of Brown and State of Visconsin, have invented a new and useful Wrench, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wrenches.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of ratchet-wrenches and to provide a simple, inexpensive, andeficieut one adapted to be readily adjusted. to

'suit the diameter of a pipe, rod, or nut and capable of rmly gripping the same.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and varrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaocompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ratchet-wrench constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the adj usting-wheel. Fig. 6 is a similar view of one of the adjustable jaws. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the same.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

1 designates a shank or stock carrying a head 2 and constitutinga handle, and the said head 2, which is preferably in the form of a ring, as shown, to provide acircular openin g, is composedof two sections 3 and 4 and has a ratchet-wheel 5 j ournaled in it. The ratchetwheel 5 is provided at its periphery with teeth 6 and is adapted to be engaged by either of a pair of oppositely-disposed pawls 7 ,mounted in an opening 8 on pivots 9 and engaged by a spring 10, adapted to hold them in position for engaging the ratchet-wheel, and a springcatch 11 is provided for locking either of the pawls out of engagement, so that the device may be arranged to rotate the ratchet-wheel in either direction to screw a nut on or o a bolt or rotate a pipe or rod in either direction.

The section 4 of the casing is formed integral,

with the handle or stock proper, and the other section 3 is detachably secured to the same and is recessed to provide the opening for the reception of the pawls.

The spring 10, which engages the pawls, is provided with a central coil and has oppositely-disposed arms, as shown, and the catch 11,which is disposed transversely of the shankor stock, is centrally secured to the same and projects from opposite sides thereof to form resilient arns and is provided at its ends with headsror shoulders formed by bending its terminals on' themselves and arranged to engage the adjacent ends of the pawls, whereby the latter are retained out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel. -The spring 10, which is interposed between the pawls,is adapted to holdeither of them in engagement with the ratchet- Wheel, and the catch 11, which is adapted to be engaged alternately by the the pawls, holds one of them out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel while the other engages the same.

The ratchet wheel is provided with an opening 12, forming ways for the reception of adjustable jaws 13 and centrally enlarged to permit the jaws to be readily connected with and detached from the ratchet-wheel. Each jaw 13, which is composed of two separable longitudinal sections, has a reduced shank 14. and is provided `with a head 15, disposed opposite the shoulder formed by reducing the shank and adapted to engage the ratchet-wheel. The shoulders 16 engage one face of the ratchet-wheel and the head or enlargement 15 engages the opposite face,where by the jaw is firmly mounted 'in the slot ot` the ratchet-wheel.

The adjustment of the jaws 13 is effected by a wheel 17, provided at its inner face with a spiral flange 18, engaging projections 19 of the heads or enlargements 15 of the jaws. The wheel or disk 17 is provided with a central opening and has an annular groove 2O in the walls thereof, which is engaged by a pair of substantially L shaped arms 21 of the ratchet-wheel, whereby the adjusting-wheel is swiveled to the same and is capable of a rotary movement to slide the jaws t-o and from each other. The L-shaped arms 2l are secured to the ratchet-wheel in the enlargement or central portion of the opening of the ratchet-wheel, and the outer portions of the IOO arms interlock with the said annular groove, which is formed on the interior of the adjusting-wheel.

The jaws, which are composed of two sections, have thelatter connected by transverse fastening devices, and the said jaws are provided at their outer portions with sockets 22, having undercut edges to interlock with iianges 27 of gripping-plates 2i.v Each jaw is beveled at 25 at the month of its socket, and the back face of the plate 2i is correspondingly beveled at 26, whereby when a strain is placed on the device incident to its use t-he plates will move outward on the beveled faces 25 and will grip the nut, pipe, or other object operated on more securely.

j The shanks 23 are provided with flanges 27 to interlock with the undercut edges of the sockets, and they are provided with bores or openings 28, forming housings for spiral springs 29, connected to the plates andto the jaws and adapted to draw the latter inward to their normal positions when the strain is removed from the wrench.

The engaging faces of the gripping-plates are provided with projections for engaging a nut, pipe, rod, or the like, and the said gripping-faces may be provided with any suitable form of teeth, or may be checkered or corrugated to produce the desired gripping effect. The shanks 23 are of sufficient length to permit the gripping-plates to have a limited movement to produce the result before described.

It will be seen that the wrench is simple, strong, and durable, that it is capable of ready adjustment to adapt the jaws to the pipe, rod, nut, or other object operated on, and that it is capable of iirmly gripping the same. It will also be apparent that the ratchet mechanism is simple and positive and that the parts may be readily arranged for rotating a nut or other part in either direction.

XV hat I claim isl. In a wrench, the combination of a stock or shank provided with a head or casing, a

pair of oppositely-disposed pawls adapted to engage the ratchet-wheel alternately and pivoted between their ends, and a transverselydisposed catch centrally fixed to the shankand provided with resilient arms extending from opposite sides of the shank and having heads or shoulders adapted to engage the inner ends of the pawls alternately to lock one of them out of engagement with the ratchetwheel, substantially as described.

2. In a wrench, the combination of a stock or shank provided with a head or casing, a rotary ratchet-wheel journaled in the casing or head and provided with suitable ways, sliding jaws mounted in said ways, L-shaped arms extending from one of the faces of the ratchet-wheel, and an adjusting-wheel having a spiral iiange to engage and operate the jaws and having an internal groove interlocked with the said arms, whereby the adjusting-wheel is rotatively mounted on the ratchet-wheel, substantially as described.

In a wrench, the combination of a sliding jaw having a socket beveled at the mouth thereof, and a gripping-plate beveled at the inner face to conform to the bevel of the jaw and provided with a shank arranged in the said socket, substantially as described.

it. In a wrench, the combination of a jaw having a socket beveled at the mouth thereof, a beveled gripping-plate fitting in the beveled mouth of the socket and provided with a shank havinga limited movement in the socket, and a spring connecting the gripping-plate with the jaw and adapted to return the former to its initial position when the strain is removed, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS GEO. KRUEGER.

IVitnesses:

A. JEKELFALUSY, C. W. BERRY. 

